Disclaimer: "People are stupid, but they go well with French dressing."
(An: This chapter is short but chockfull of Morphy!backstory goodness. Funfun. It's also pretty short because it was kind of hard to write.)
Morph woke up in a glass cage, surrounded by the other people who'd gotten captured. Fred was still in the green goop, and Logan was chained to a wall, but everyone else was in similar cages. He looked around. "Where are we?"
"Area 51, kid," said Logan.
"...Well, that's new," Morph said.. "I sure hope the aliens get better treatment."
"Ah think they think we are the aliens," said Rogue. She glared at him. Morph winced. "Now what the hell was all of that back there?"
"Uh... first-mission jitters?"
"Don't even try," Rogue replied.
"It's a long story," Morph mumbled, staring at the floor.
"...You're aware that we're in the middle of a government facility, with no apparent way to get out," Remy commented. His hands were tied behind his back, to the wall.
"He's got a point."
Morph sighed. "This isn't how I really look." His appearance changed from a normal person, to having all-white skin, white eyes, and no hair.
"...Holy CRAP!" said Rogue.
"They all say that," said Morph, with a little, bitter laugh.
"Well, that's a new one," Remy commented. "So what does this, praytell, have to do with y' freakin' out?"
"My parents knew I was a mutant from the day I was born, y'know," said Morph, leaning back against the glass. "But I could hide it. And then my mom died. Me and my dad didn't get along. So when this guy, Trask, came into town looking for mutants... well... let's just say dear old dad didn't put up much of a fight." He paused, biting his lip.
"...And..." said Rogue.
"This isn't easy, ok?" Morph snapped. "I wander from place to place 'cause staying in one too long usually means I have to tell people... what happened."
Rogue's expression softened a little. "Just keep goin'."
"Remember the whole 'lab stay' thing? I didn't go there by choice. Trask's goons brought me to it. Those robot things? They're called Sentinels. Once they found out the whole deal with my powers, they decided to use me for target practice." Logan glanced up. "What they had out there, they were better than what they tested on me, but the ones they had then were still enough to kick the shit out of me each and every day."
"How'd you get out?"
"One day one of the guards was bringing me lunch when he touched the lock and it sparked- I mean like Ray-type sparks. He let me pose as him and get out. I messed with the machinery first, though- I think I caused some major havoc, 'cause this was all a couple of months ago." Morph shut up, closing his eyes. (1)
Rogue propped her chin on her fist. "So... after the fact that the professor told us that it wouldn't be a good idea for you newbies to go along and the fact that everyone knew we wouldn't have a clue what we were up against and the fact that you've been an X-man for less than a week you still thought it would be a good idea to tag along... and with Jamie no less!"
Morph winced, shrinking a little. "Well, when you put it that way..."
If looks could kill, Morph would've been six feet under from the glare Rogue was giving him.
In retrospect, probably not the best response, Morph thought.
Then a couple of scientists and army guys came in. Oh, boy, Morph thought.
The scientists began to free Fred from the green stuff while the army guy went over to Logan. You could tell he was doing his best to look intimidating. Yeah. Like that'll work.
"Who are you? Who dyou work for? Did you build that robot?" the soldier demanded. "I want answers!"
That's probably not the best way to get them... Morph couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the army guy as Logan growled and tried to break free.
The soldier looked disgusted and walked out, the scientists following.
"What happened?" Fred asked.
Everyone else rolled their eyes.
Once Logan was sure the security was gone, he glanced at Evan, who got the hint. He shot a spike through an air slot in his cage and it hit the chains. Logan grinned, let out his claws, and freed himself.
After that, everyone else got out pretty easily.
More guards came after everyone was free, followed by Kurt and Mystique.
"'Bout time you got here, Elf," said Logan, utterly calm as he dispatched a couple more army guys. "What's she doing here?"
"Well, it's kind of complicated," said Kurt. "See..."
Mystique interrupted him. "We'll send you a memo!"
Everyone ran out of the room, just in time, since the exits were all closing. They ran into Lance, Jean, and Scott.
"What's goin' on?" Rogue demanded.
"We'll tell you later," Jean gasped. "Right now, run!"
Bobby leaned out of a corridor. "Over here!"
Using a ladder, they got onto the roof.
Well, this is going pretty smoothly, Morph thought. Then Fred got stuck in the hatch. Scratch that...
"Like, don't sweat it!" Kitty said, phasing him through.
Everyone except Mystique was now on the roof. "Velocity," she said, into her headset, "we need pickup at Building Five."
Scott then did something pretty un-Scott-like: he bent down and shut the grate.
"What are you doing? Let me through!"
"Where's Professor X?" Scott replied.
"Release me, or you'll never know!"
The drama in that was missed by the escapees; the ones who'd been trapped were too busy exchanging looks that said "The Professor's gone!"
"You have three seconds, lady."
"Let me pass!"
Scott just slammed the hatch shut.
"Hey, what're you doing?" Lance protested.
"She got what she deserved!"
"Hey, come on, you guys," Jean said. "You can tear each other apart later."
Scott and Lance were exchanging glares of death. "Oh, we will. I guarantee it."
They all climbed into the Velocity, Scott last.
Then the guns on the roof aimed at the helicopter. Storm, perturbed, zapped them. Gotta give 'em points for persistence, Morph thought, before he noticed that everyone except Scott and Bobby (who were getting rid of the planes following them) was staring at him. "Heheh... hi..."
Rogue shot him a look that said "This ain't over" but said nothing.
LATER THAT DAY, BACK AT THE INSTITUTE GROUNDS...
Everyone had been caught up on the destruction of the mansion. Now there was a lot of rubble, a lot of depression, and no professor. Kitty sighed. "The Institute is gone, the Professor is missing, we can't go to school, and it's open season on mutants."
"Look at the bright side... no homework," Kurt offered. "...That didn't help, did it."
Kitty just stared at him for a moment. "Even, like, Morph's depressed," she said, gesturing at him. He appeared to be lost in his own thoughts, turning a piece of the wreckage over and over in his hands.
"Well, we have each other, right?" Kurt replied, slipping his arm around her waist.
Kitty leaned back against him, smiling a little now. "There's that, yeah..."
(And that my friends is called a copout ending because I don't want to recap or rehash any more than I have... the next chapter should be out soon; it will also be the last... you guys are going to kill me for this ending.)
(1) Comic!Morph is actually really smart; he has a degree in computer engineering.